Deluge

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈdÉ›l.juːdÊ’/
• US IPA: /ˈdÉ›l.judÊ’/, /ˈdÉ›l.juÊ’/

Origin

From Old French deluge, alteration of earlier deluvie, from Latin dīluvium, from lavō ("wash")

Full definition of deluge

Noun

1. A great flood or rain.The deluge continued for hours, drenching the land and slowing traffic to a halt.
2. An overwhelming amount of something; anything that overwhelms or causes great destruction.The rock concert was a deluge of sound.
• MiltonA fiery deluge fed
  With ever-burning sulphur unconsumed.
• LowellThe little bird sits at his door in the sun,
  Atilt like a blossom among the leaves,
  And lets his illumined being o'errun
  With the deluge of summer it receives.
3. (Military engineering) A damage control system on navy warships which is activated by excessive temperature within the Vertical Launching System.
• NAVEDTRA 14324AIn the event of a restrained firing or canister overtemperature condition, the deluge system sprays cooling water within the canister until the overtemperature condition no longer exists.

Verb

1. (transitive) To flood with water.
2. (transitive) To overwhelm.After the announcement, they were deluged with requests for more information.